What makes Bruern Abbey Exceptional

Within most preparatory and primary schools there are bright underachievers; boys whose academic performance falls far below their potential as indicated by their assessed intelligence. This failure to thrive is often the result of some form of specific learning difficulty which, either alone or in combination with character or temperament, makes smooth and easy progress, especially in larger and more traditional school environments, almost impossible.

These pupils grow impatient and depressed at their lack of success. Knowing they are bright, their parents understandably have high educational expectations. There is evidently a mismatch between the conventional teaching programme and the individual child's needs. Under these circumstances, performance is most unlikely to reach levels that permit parental hopes and expectations to be achieved.

It is for these boys that Bruern Abbey exists.

Externally, Bruern Abbey appears to be not unlike conventional boarding and day preparatory schools. Furthermore, like them, it is targeting its pupils for respected, mainstream senior schools. However, in terms of both teaching methods and environment, Bruern Abbey is very different. The key elements in Bruern Abbey's philosophy are its professional understanding of a boy's difficulties and its sensitive support for his often deflated self?esteem. Crucially, the option that such pupils will indeed be enabled to proceed to the academic senior schools of their choice is thus kept entirely open. They are not doomed to being made to feel long-term failures. They do indeed have a bright future.

Bruern Abbey's curriculum is similar to that found in conventional preparatory schools, meeting the requirements of senior school entry examinations, and in particular, Common Entrance. There the similarity ends. The teaching methods and structure of the timetable are specially designed to take every boy's learning difficulties into account in every subject, thus enabling pupils to maximise their academic potential both at Common Entrance and subsequently within the mainstream of secondary schooling. It is impossible to forecast at 7+ whether or not a pupil will be able to achieve success at entrance examinations at 13+. Progress to senior forms is therefore not automatic and is dependent upon successful progress as well as the School's own judgement.

Bruern Abbey's small size is a positive factor in helping its pupils to regain their confidence and restore their happiness, which may have suffered in a larger school. Its utterly distinctive style, routine and surroundings are also so different from those experienced in a traditional preparatory school as to inspire a startling development in even the most depressed child. Expert, specialised teaching and this supportive, unthreatening atmosphere together are sufficient to enable any underachiever to fulfil his true potential.

A preparatory school? Certainly — but one with a difference. This is Bruern Abbey.